Sola Scriptura

Where in the world are you getting the idea that I am associating the context of I Tim. 4:1 with the context of John 8?????

You don't have to associate contexts in order to draw general principles from both and make application to anything that fits the principle.

The Jews don't have an monopoly upon Satan, murder, lying, etc. Timothy does not have a monopoly upon future apostasy!

You responses are absurd. Your dealings with Berkhof are absurd.

You think that simply because a specific person/preacher/church/institution is not specifically found in the context that the prinicples that are applied in a specific context can't be applied anywhere or to anyone else outside the context. That is absurd.

 

What you are completely ignoring is the concerted effort by Rome to practice the scorched earth policy in regard to their opponents they first classifed as "heretics" and then systematically destroyed all traces except their own comments. You have the writings of Ignatius because Rome arbritrarily chose to preserve them.

 

You simply don't get it or don't want to get it. Who said that the ECF had its BEGINNING in 150 A.D.???? I didn't! All I said was that from 150 A.D. forward do we have clear evidence of apostasy in regard to water regeneration.

I can look at the New Testament and determine what kind of churches are found in the New Testament. They are not the churches found in the ECF 150 A.D. and forward. New Testament churches did not preach sacramentalistic salvation. They did not administer baptism for water regeneration. They did not murder Christians. However, that is exactly the kind of churches we find 150 A.D. forward in the ECF.

The second paragraph follows perfectly because the ECF provides the proof that from 150 A.D. forward you have these churches embracing water regeneration and sacramental salvation.

 

The "accursed" preacher/church/denomination

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
10 ¶ For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

If you look at this text objectively it condemns ANYONE who preaches "ANOTHER GOSPEL" as "accursed."

The context fully demonstrates it is the gospel given unto Paul by Christ himself. Thus it is the gospel Christ commissioned to the end of the world (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15). Hence, there is but one gospel of Christ that has been commissioned to the end of the world and it is the gospel Paul preached.

ANYONE preaching "another gospel" is by apostolic command to be determined "accursed."

It should be obvious that the gospel preached by Baptists is not the gospel preached by the church at Rome or by the Orthodox Church or by those later than 150 A.D. in the ECF.

Now, it is very simple, so lets not complicate the matter through intellectual ignorance!

If you believe that gospel in Galatians 1:6-9 is water regeneration/sacamental/church/justification by works salvation than the Baptists are to be regarded as "accursed" by all who hold to water regeneration/justification by works/sacramental church gospel salvation.

If you believe that the gospel in Galatians 1:6-9 is what the Baptists preach than all who preach a water regeneration/sacramental/church/justification by works gospel salvation are to be regarded as "accursed."

The New Testament does not teach TWO gospels that stand in contradiction to each other as the GOSPELS of Christ.

To me it is a very simple matter to conclude that those in the ECF who embraced a water regeneration gospel are to be regarded as "accursed" instead of being regarded as a "true" preacher, church/denomination.

To me it is a very simple matter to conclude that all those who embraced a sacramental church/justification by works gospel are to be regarded as "accursed" instead of being regarded as a "true" preacher/church/denomination.

Any intellectual argumentation to the contrary is but intellectual stupidity on display.

 

The answer is very simple. The Anabaptists were totally exclusive of Rome and all other deviations and regarded all of them as "heretics" and themselves alone as the true apostolic churches.

Rome was totally inclusive of all except for those who excluded them just as they are today.

Indeed, at first Rome attempted to include the Anabaptists. They attempted to include the Montanists, Novations and Donatists and counsels were called for the purpose of reconciliation. However, when the Anabaptists would have none of that, but condemned Rome as heretics, refused their ordinances, denied their ministry was ordained, rejected their assemblies as churches but regarded them as dens of theives, then the scorched earth policy was put into place. Rome did this with all that would not include them within the limits of Christianity.

 

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; - I Tim. 4:1

The only thing the Holy Spirit speaketh expressly about is that some UNKNOWN time in the future "some" UNKNOWN persons will "depart from the faith."

The specific applicable time is UNKNOWN. It could be one year or one thousand years in the future. It could be continuously in the future. Hence there is no CONTEXTUAL RESTRICTION and so it is a GENERAL predictive truth.

The specific persons are not identified. Only that "some" UNKNOWN persons will "depart from the faith" in the future. It could ten or ten million. It could be individuals or institutions of individuals. Hence there is no CONTEXTUAL RESTRICTION and so it is a GENERAL predictive truth.

The originating cause is specifically identified as giving heed to "seducing spirits" and the opposition to "the faith" is identified as "doctrines of demons." Hence, the Holy Spirit is pitted in this same verse with demonic spirits. John gives the same two sources for "truth" and "error" (I Jn. 4:6).

Two specific false doctrines are identified in verses 4-5. (1) Forbidding to marry - celebacy mandated and (2) forbidding to eat certain foods eat. Inclusive of Jewish dietary law and RCC dietary laws:

"The penitential days and times in the universal Church are every Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent. Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. Abstinence and fasting are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday" (Code of Canon Law 1250, 1251).